Daylily plant named ‘When My Sweetheart Returns’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct Hemerocallis cultivar of the dormant type named ‘When My Sweetheart Returns’ is provided. The new cultivar is very floriferous and forms attractive light creamy-lemon blossoms with a rose-colored eye over an extended period of time that commonly begins during mid-June and commonly ends during early to mid-October in USDA Hardiness Zone No. 7. The new plant readily forms fans and readily forms a number of scapes per fan. The new cultivar is particularly well suited for growing as distinctive colorful ornamentation in the landscape.

BOTANICAL/COMMERCIAL CLASSIFICATION

Hemerocallis hybrida/Daylily.

VARIETAL DENOMINATION

cv. ‘When My Sweetheart Returns’.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar ofHemerocallis plant of the dormant type, and hereinafter is referred toby the cultivar name ‘When My Sweetheart Returns’.

The new cultivar is the product of a planned breeding program which hadas its objective the creation of a new Daylily cultivar that is intendedfor use as attractive ornamentation in the landscape.

The cross that resulted in the production of the new cultivar of thepresent invention was carried out in a controlled environment duringJuly, 1993, at Bridgeton, N.J., U.S.A. The female parent (i.e., the seedparent) of the new cultivar was the ‘Janice Brown’ cultivar(non-patented in the United States) which displays bright pink flowerswith a rose eye zone having a diameter of approximately 12 cm andfragile tepals that lack resistance to sunlight.

The male parent (i.e., the pollen parent) of the new cultivar was the‘Pink Recurrence’ cultivar (non-patented in the United States) whichdisplays pink flowers with a red eye zone and fragile tepals that lackresistance to sunlight. Each of the parent plants is registered with theAmerican Hemerocallis Society.

The parentage of the new cultivar of the present invention can besummarized as follows:

‘Janice Brown’×‘Pink Recurrence’.

The seeds resulting from the above pollination were sown and smallplantlets were obtained which were physically and biologically differentfrom each other. A number of such plants were transplanted into thefield at Bridgeton, N.J., U.S.A. during May 1994. Selective study duringJune 1996 resulted in the identification of a single plant of the newcultivar.

It was found that the new Hemerocallis cultivar of the present inventionis of the dormant type and:

(a) Forms attractive light creamy-lemon flowers having a rose-coloredeye zone, substantial substance, and a funnel-shaped form,

(b) Possesses a long blooming season with substantially continuousblooming,

(c) Exhibits a propensity to readily display a plurality of fans, and

(d) Readily forms a plurality of scapes per fan over the floweringseason.

The ‘When My Sweetheart Returns’ cultivar resembles some well-knowncultivars, such as the ‘Stella D' Oro’ cultivar (non-patented in theUnited States) and the ‘Happy Returns’ cultivar (non-patented in theUnited States) in the sense that it commonly possesses an extremely longand substantially continuous blooming season of up to approximately 105days in USDA Hardiness Zone No. 7. Such blooming commonly begins duringmid-June and commonly ends during early to mid-October. This compares toa bloom period of less than about 30 days for over 99 percent of thehybrid Daylilies that are known to the inventor.

As indicated, ‘When My Sweetheart Returns’ exhibits attractive lightcreamy-lemon flowers with a rose-colored eye zone that readily can bedistinguished from the orange-yellow flowers of the ‘Stella D' Oro’cultivar and the medium yellow flowers of the ‘Happy Returns’ cultivar.To the best of the knowledge of the originator ‘When My SweetheartReturns’ is the first long and substantially continuous blooming Daylilyhaving light creamy-lemon flowers with a rose-colored eye zone.

The new cultivar can form up to 6 to 7 or more fans per year. Thiscompares to approximately 6 to 8 fans per year for the ‘Stella D' Oro’cultivar and the ‘Happy Returns’ cultivar. Most Daylily cultivars formonly approixmately 2 to 3 fans per year. Also, the new cultivar commonlyforms several scapes per fan during the flowering season, unlike mostDaylilies that commonly produce only one scape per fan.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by division was initiallycarried out on Sep. 16, 1996 at Bridgeton, N.J., U.S.A. At the time ofsuch asexual reproduction the original plant of the new cultivarconsisted of a clump of six to seven fans that were phenotypicallyidentical to each other. More specifically, the clump of the newcultivar was removed from the field and the fans were divided. It hasbeen demonstrated that the characteristics of the new cultivar arefirmly fixed and are well retained following this asexual reproduction.

‘When My Sweetheart Returns’ has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that thephenotype may vary somewhat with variations in the environment, such astemperature, light, day length, contact with pesticides, etc.

The new cultivar is being marketed beginning in 2002 while bearing theHAPPY EVER APPSTER trademark.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs were prepared during late summer, and showas nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make the same in colorillustrations of this character, the original plant and flower of thenew cultivar of the present invention. The plant was approximately oneyear of age and was being grown outdoors in the field at Bridgeton,N.J., U.S.A.

FIG. 1—illustrates the plant clump with foliage, buds, and flowers invarious stages of maturity.

FIG. 2—illustrates a close up view of a mature flower of the presentinvention wherein the stamens and pistil are visible.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The chart used in the identification of colors described herein is TheR.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England.In some instances, more common color terms are provided and are to beaccorded their usual dictionary significance. The original plant of thenew cultivar is described when observed during June 1996 whenapproximately one year of age and while growing at Bridgeton, N.J.,U.S.A. under field growing conditions.

Plant:

Height.—Approximately 59 cm at an age of one year.

Width.—Approximately 45 cm at an age of one year.

Foliage.—Form: single stem, substantially erect scapes from a fan-shapedbase having narrow arching, long, keeled, grass-like glabrous leavesthat are two-ranked at the base of the scape. Quantity: abundant, with amature plant commonly having approximately 12 to 16 leaves per fan. Leafsize: commonly approximately 1.75 cm in width on average andapproximately 60 cm in length on average. Leaf shape: linear andlong-keeled (as illustrated in FIG. 1) with entire margins. Texture:glabrous Color: Green Group 137A on the upper surface, and Green Group137B on the under surface. Type: dormant with the plant losing all ofits foliage during the winter.

Scape.—Color: Green Group 137A. Length: commonly approximately 51 cm onaverage. Diameter: approximately 8 mm.

Disease resistance.—Typical of Hemerocallis with no problems having beenobserved to date.

Inflorescence:

Bud.—Form: modified oblanceolate (as illustrated in FIG. 1). Size: onthe day prior to opening commonly approximately 7.5 cm in length onaverage and approximately 1.3 cm in width on average. Color:Yellow-Green Group 153C. Opening rate: commonly approximately threehours on average. Outer tepal color: when the tepals first divide,Yellow Group 13D with an eye zone of Claret Rose, Red Group 50C.Peduncle character: rigid and sturdy. Peduncle diameter: Approximately 5mm. Peduncle color: Green Group 137A.

Flower.—Size: commonly has a diameter of approximately 10 cm on averageand a depth of approximately 5 cm on average. Borne: singly on thebranchlets of a sturdy erect rachis which is ramulose. Each scapecommonly has at least three peduncles, each of which divides intoapproximately eight pedicels. Blooms per scape: commonly ranges from 1to 3 each day. Tepalage: each flower consists of six perianth segmentswherein there are three outer tepals and three inner tepals all in animbricated arrangement. Outer tepal shape: oblanceolate with slightlyundulated entire margins and an acuminate apex. Outer tepal texture:smooth. Outer tepal size: commonly approximately 7 cm in length onaverage and approximately 3.8 cm in width on average. Outer tepal color:on the upper surface Yellow-Orange Group 20C with an eye zone of ClaretRose, Red Group 50C, and Yellow-Green Group 144B and Yellow-Green Group151C towards the base, and on the under surface Yellow-Orange Group 15C.Outer tepal apex: acute. Outer tepal margin: minutely wavy. Inner tepalshape: broadly obovate with undulated margins. Inner tepal texture:smooth. Inner tepal size: commonly approximately 7 cm in length onaverage and approximately 4.3 cm in width on average. Inner tepal color:on the upper surface Yellow-Orange Group 20C with an eye zone of RedGroup 50C, and Yellow-Green Group 144B and Yellow-Green Group 151Ctowards the base, and on the under surface Yellow-Orange Group 15C.Pedicel length: commonly approximately 4 mm. Pedicel diameter: commonlyapproximately 3 mm. Pedicel color: commonly Yellow-Green Group 153C.Blooming habit: the flowers commonly bloom substantially continuouslyand the scape commonly is substantially continuously in bloom for up toapproximately 105 days per year in Hardiness Zone No. 7. Effects ofweather: the flowers will withstand rain damage in view of the strengthof the tepals. Lasting quality: commonly at least 16 hours. As withother Hemerocallis cultivars known to the inventor, the flower coloreventually fades somewhat during the day with the natural effects ofenvironmental conditions and ongoing maturity. Fragrance: very slight.

Reproductive organs.—Stamen number: six per flower. Stamen disposition:individually inserted at the summit of the perianth tube. Antherdisposition: introrse. Anther size: approximately 0.6 cm in length.Anther color: Yellow Ochre, Yellow-Orange Group 22A. Filamentconfiguration: slender. Filament length: commonly approximately 6.3 cmon average Filament color: Lemon Yellow, Yellow Group 13D changing toClaret Rose, Red Group 50C, at the tip. Pollen color: Yellow Ochre,Yellow-Orange Group 22A. Pistil number: one per flower. Style length:approximately 6.5 cm in length on average. Style color: Cadmium Orange,Yellow-Orange Group 22A. Stigma color: Cadmium Orange, Yellow-OrangeGroup 22A. Ovaries: three-celled, oblong, and becoming a loculiedallythree-valved capsule.

Fruit.—Configuration: the seed pod is in the form of an ovoid capsule.Color: at maturity commonly is Green Group 139D. Fertility: the seedsare fertile.

Hardiness: U.S.D.A. Hardiness Zone Nos. 6 and 7.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Hemerocallis plant of thedormant type, substantially as herein shown and described, which: (a)Forms attractive light creamy-lemon flowers having a rose-colored eyezone, substantial substance, and a funnel-shaped form, (b) Possesses along blooming season with substantially continuous blooming, (c)Exhibits a propensity to readily display a plurality of fans, and (d)Readily forms a plurality of scapes per fan over the flowering season.